CPP and F'pec participate in Kem Sokha's Forums - will CCHR allow people to speak on border issues, a topic sensitive to Hun Sen?

While in the past, people participating in Kem Sokha's CCHR forums had spoken freely on border issues, recently, this topic is rarely raised in these forums. The silence on this issue closely follows Hun Sen's order for Cambodian people not to discuss it, especially after Hun Sen forced down on Cambodia the ratification of the illegal supplemental treaty to the 1985 border treaty with Vietnam. Border issue is a topic affecting directly human rights in Cambodia, as Cambodian people are deprived of their rights to farm their lands by the Vietnamese authorities.

Cambodian People Party Participates in Human Rights Forums

Mony Dara Voice of America
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
11/04/2006

The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) sends their representatives to participate for the first time in the human rights forum organized by the Cambodia Center for Human Rights'(CCHR) on Tuesday. CCHR is funded by the US based International Republican Institute (IRI) and is led by Mr. Kem Sokha.

CPP representatives say this forum is important for the nation, at the time when opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP), and CCHR are having differences. Last month the SRP announced its boycott aginst CCHR's forums because it was not happy with CCHR's criticisms.

The Tuesday forum was held in Thmar Keo town, Ratanakiri province. It was participated by the CPP and royalist FUNCINPEC party representatives, provincial authorities, and about 700 villagers, mostly minorities.

CCHR's spokesman Ou Vireak says today's forum is a new beginning in Cambodia's politics where every party participates. However he said he is sorry that the SRP's representatives did not participate in this forum. He said his organization will continue to invite the opposition party as usual.

Oppositon party leader Sam Rainsy once again appeals to all the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) not to conduct political activities under the name of human rights. He said his party will participate in the CCHR public forums again whenever the human rights group stops criticize his party and give him more time during the forums.